Free State
The Free State is a
province of
South Africa. The name is a popular contraction of the previous name the
Orange Free State. Its capital is
Bloemfontein which is also South Africa's judicial capital. On 9 June 1995 its name was changed from Orange Free State to Free State. The current borders date from 1994 when the
Bantustans were abolished and included into the
provinces of South Africa.
It is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa. The soil is rich and the climate good allowing a thriving agricultural industry.
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the province in South Africa. For the term as it was used historically in the United States, see free state. For the form of government, see Free state .
The
Free State is a
province of
South Africa. The name is a popular contraction of the previous name the
Orange Free State. Its capital is
Bloemfontein which is also South Africa's judicial capital. On 9 June 1995 its name was changed from Orange Free State to Free State. The current borders date from 1994 when the
Bantustans were abolished and included into the
provinces of South Africa.
It is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of South Africa. The soil is rich and the climate good allowing a thriving agricultural industry. It is known locally as South Africa's
bread basket, with more than 30 000 farms that produce over 70% of the country's grain consumption. It also has some of the most productive
gold and
diamond mines in the world.
District municipalities
The Free State is divided into 5
district municipalities . These are again subdivided into 3 to 5 local municipalities each, totalling 20 local municipalities.
The 5 districts are:
Major towns
The major towns include:
- See also List of cities and towns in the Free State
Language
Sesotho is the dominant home language in most of the province.
Afrikaans dominates in the south-west and in parts of the towns.
isiZulu is the major language in the eastern municipality of Phumelela.
Setswana is the main langauage in Tokologo .
See also
